All-Female Brass Ensemble Comes to the Weis Center

All-Female Brass Ensemble Comes to the Weis Center

The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will welcome tenThing on Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center.

Formed in 2007 by Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth as a fun and exciting collaboration between musical friends, the ten-piece, all-female brass ensemble tenThing have firmly established themselves on the international scene to great acclaim.

tenThing are celebrated for their commitment to outreach and access to music through a diverse repertoire that spans from Mozart to Weill, Grieg to Bernstein, and Lully to Bartok. The group work closely with Norwegian guitarist and arranger Jarle Storløkken in the arrangement of scores for the ensemble, enabling them to play pieces of differing instrumentations.

tenThing first came into prominence thanks to performances all over their native Norway, eventually delighting a huge national audience by opening the 2011 Norwegian Grammy Awards. Soon after, the group drew international attention after their highly successful appearance at the BBC Proms at London’s Cadogan Hall. Elsewhere in Europe, they have performed at a wide range of prestigious festivals and concert halls, including the Schleswig-Holstein, Beethoven Bonn, Gstaad, MDR Musiksommer, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rheingau, Bodensee, Engadin, Merano, Thüringer Bachwochen, and Bremen festivals in Central Europe, the Merano and Sienna festivals in Italy, the NCPA Beijing May Festival, and Moscow’s House of Music.

In Spring 2017, the ensemble embarked on their American debut tour, which included concerts in New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and at the renowned Wolf Trap Festival. Since then, they have returned to the USA on two occasions including with a Holiday-themed program in December 2022. Their next visit to the USA sees the ensemble celebrate Women’s History Month in March 2024.

TICKETS
Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $15 for youth 18 and under, $15 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $15 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).

Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.

Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at [email protected].

For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Martha Redbone Roots Project Comes to the Weis Center

Martha Redbone Roots Project Comes to the Weis Center

The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will welcome folk/blues/gospel ensemble Martha Redbone Roots Project on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center.

The performance is sponsored, in part, by the News-Item.

Martha Redbone is a Native American and African American vocalist/songwriter/ composer/educator.

She is known for her unique gumbo of folk, blues and gospel from her childhood in Harlan County, Kentucky, that is infused with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn.

Inheriting the powerful vocal range of her gospel-singing African American father and the resilient spirit of her mother’s Southeastern Cherokee/Choctaw culture, Redbone broadens the boundaries of American roots music.

With songs and storytelling that share her life experience as a Native and Black woman and mother in the new millennium, she gives voice to issues of social justice, bridging traditions from past to present, connecting cultures and celebrating the human spirit.

Her album The Garden of Love- Songs of William Blake, produced by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder/Grammy Winner John McEuen is an unexpected twist – “a brilliant collision of cultures” (The New Yorker) – features Redbone’s magnificent voice, Blake’s immortal words and a masterful cornucopia of roots music (blues, gospel, bluegrass, soul and traditional Southeastern Woodlands). Featured on NPR’s All Things Considered the album released on her own indie label imprint rose to the Top Ten on Amazon Folk Charts for several weeks and has become the bedrock of her live shows bringing audiences to their feet with her fiery old-time mountain gospel singing and foot-stomping energy.

Redbone and her long-term collaborator/husband, composer/pianist/producer Aaron Whitby are called “the little engine that could [by their] band of NYC’s finest blues and jazz musicians” (Larry Blumenthal/Wall Street Journal). From grassroots beginnings at powwows across Indian Country and in the underground clubs of NYC Redbone has built a passionate fan base with her mesmerizing presence and explosive live shows. Her debut Home of the Brave – “Stunning album, the kind of woman who sets trends” (Billboard) – garnered extremely positive critical attention while her sophomore album Skintalk – described as the soulful sound of “Earth, Wind and Fire on the Rez” (J Poet/Native Peoples Magazine) – took her music to Europe and the Far East. Albums Skintalk and The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake are included in the Library Collection and “Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture” exhibits in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC.

Redbone is Composer for the Public Theater’s 2019 production of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuff, a revival/reimagining of the 1976 classic choreopoem by the late Ntozake Shange. Redbone joined the all-women-of-color Creative Team to celebrate the author’s historical work and legacy, and enjoyed a 4-week extended run through December that received rave reviews with notable mentions for their team’s original compositions and score — “supreme music…brilliant” (NY Daily News).

Redbone and Whitby’s recent work is Bone Hill – The Concert, an interdisciplinary musical theater work inspired by the lives of Redbone’s family in the hills of coal-mining Appalachia. A multi-racial Cherokee and African American family, they are permanently bonded to their culture, identity and the mountain despite its violent past and the ever-changing laws of the land that threaten to extinguish them. Commissioned by Joe’s Pub/NEA and Lincoln Center for the Arts, Bone Hill – The Concert is touring extensively nationwide and is a recipient of the NEFA National Theater Project Creation and Touring Grant and National Performance Network Creation Fund. Other theatrical commissions include compositions for the Goethe Institute / New York Theater Workshop collaboration, Plurality of PrivacyPrimer for a Failed Superpower directed by Rachel Chavkin; a Chinese-American musical collaboration Flood in the Valley which premiered in Beijing in 2018; New Musical work, Black Mountain Women, currently in development at the Public Theater.

Over the years Martha has performed and recorded with many great artists including; Bonnie Raitt, George Clinton, Judy Collins, Joan Osborne, Steven Van Zandt, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Nona Hendryx, Lisa Fischer, Steve Martin, David Amram, Randy Brecker, Tony Trischka, John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Carter Cash, Ben Sollee and Tom Chapin amongst many others.

Martha guest lectures on subjects ranging from Indigenous rights to the role of the arts in politics and Native American Identity at many institutions including New York University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, to name a few. Redbone includes workshops and motivational talks with grade school children as part of her touring schedule on numerous reservations including Red Lake, Minn., Cherokee, N.C., Yuma, Ariz., and Menominee, Wisc., among others.

An exemplary ambassador for both Native and African-American Youth for the National HIV/Aids Partnership, she was awarded the Red Ribbon Award for Outstanding Leadership presented on World AIDS Day at the United Nations in 2005. Currently Martha advocates for Why Hunger’s Artists Against Hunger and Poverty program which raises and awareness of poverty and hunger in the United States and abroad. Redbone is an Advisory Board member of the ManUp Campaign, the global youth movement to eradicate violence against women and girls for whom she served as the indigenous affairs consultant and creative advisor. She is particularly proud of her accomplishment in working with founder Jimmie Briggs and the Campaign’s Board of Directors to include an Indigenous North American contingent (independent of the USA) to the roll call of 50 countries taking part in their Youth Leadership Summit held at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Redbone serves as an Advisory Board member of The Carlisle Indian School Project, Association on American Indian Affairs, Voices- A Peoples’ History of the United States/Howard Zinn, a 2016 Fellow of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and is the 2018 MAPfund and 2018 Creative Capital awardee.

Redbone and Whitby are the 2020 Drama Desk Award recipients for Outstanding Music in a Play and the 2020 Audelco Award recipient for Outstanding Composer of Original Music and Score for Public Theater revival For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuff by Ntozake Shange. Redbone is an Awardee of Creative Capital, NEFA, NPN, NACF, MAPFund and NYC Womens Fund for Music.

PRESS REVIEWS

New York Times (John Pareles)
“Martha Redbone’s voice held both the taut determination of mountain music and the bite of American Indian singing.”

Huffington Post (Dusty Wright)
“An organic, gorgeous feast for ears and minds.”

The New Yorker
“A brilliant collision of cultures.”

Anastasia Tsioulcas covering globalFEST for NPR:
“Redbone combines folk, Appalachian, soul and Native tradition in a group of settings of poetry by William Blake — a startling idea, perhaps, but one that brims with potency and freshness.”

Village Voice
“Poised to be Americana’s next superstar.”

TICKETS
Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $10 for youth 18 and under, $10 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $10 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).

Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.

Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at [email protected].

For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Community Theatre League Presents: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Community Theatre League Presents: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Community Theatre League Presents:
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
March 1 & 2 at 7:30 p.m.
March 3 at 2 p.m.

TICKET COSTS:
$30 – $50 plus fees

TICKET CONTACT INFORMATION:
Box Office Phone: 570.326.2424
Online: CACLive.com/Cinderella

Williamsport, February 16, 2024 – Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the beloved classic fairytale, comes to life March 1 to 3 on the beautiful historic stage of the Community Arts Center with a magical and enchanting twist. This timeless tale tells the story of a kind and gentle young woman named Ella (Cinder Ella), who, with the help of her fairy godmother, overcomes adversity and captures the heart of a prince. The Broadway version, originally adapted for the stage in 2013, features stunning costumes, memorable songs, and a modern take on the beloved characters. Audiences can expect a captivating experience filled with romance, humor, and the enduring message that dreams can come true.

As Cinderella herself would say, “Impossible things are happening every day.”

“Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a tale that resonates with the young and the young at heart,” says Director Marie Fox. “Our production promises to bring a fresh and enchanting perspective to this beloved story, featuring a talented cast and a creative team dedicated to delivering a magical experience for our audience.” This production boasts a cast of over 40 talented local performers, each bringing their superb talent and passion to the stage. Their dedication and skill promise to elevate this rendition of Cinderella to new heights.

“We are particularly thrilled to be performing on the beautiful historic Community Arts Center stage once again,” says Executive Artistic Director Seth Sponhouse. “This iconic venue adds an extra layer of magic to our production, and we can’t wait to share this enchanting experience with our community. The partnership between CTL and the CAC is one that adds so much value to our community as a whole.” This performance continues a collaboration between the Community Theatre League and the Community Arts Center to bring exceptional arts and entertainment to Williamsport.

To see a complete cast list, learn more, or get tickets for this magical event, go to CACLive.com/Cinderella. Tickets are also available through the Community Arts Center Box Office at 570.326.2424.

The Community Arts Center is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pennsylvania College of Technology, a national leader in applied technology education.

The Community Theatre League, located at 100 W. Third Street, Williamsport, is a Williamsport-based theater organization dedicated to providing quality live performances and fostering a vibrant arts community. With over 46 seasons of engaging productions, CTL continues to be a cornerstone of cultural enrichment in the Williamsport area.
CTL’s slogan is “Enrich, Educate, Entertain.” Learn more at ctlshows.com.

DIGITAL ART CLASSES AT THE GMEINER

DIGITAL ART CLASSES AT THE GMEINER

By: Carrie Heath, February 14, 2024
The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center is thrilled to announce FREE Digital Art classes for children and adults! It’s time for some iPad fun while working on your digital art skills!
The classes will be held on Friday, February 23rd. The children’s (ages 10-17) class will be from 4-5PM. The adults’ class will be from 5-6PM. During this hour long class,
students will focus on learning fundamentals of digital art in Procreate, which will be transferrable to other digital art programs. Dig into layer styles, brush effects, symmetry
options, and any digital art questions you may have. Students of any skill level are welcome!

Teacher Emily Swan is a graphic designer, illustrator, digital content creator, and instructor. She began teaching in 2009, primarily focusing on Cartooning, Illustration,
and Digital Art. Currently, Swan is the creator and showrunner of the Doodle Crew art stream, co-host of Sketching Shakespeare art and discussion stream, and a member of
the In Addition, and Surprise Attack Book Club podcasts. When she’s not teaching, Swan can be found working on illustrations and traveling to sell her art at Comic Cons.
More of Swan’s art can be found across the internet at: aSwanNamedEmily.

No experience needed. iPads provided by the Gmeiner. Each class is limited to 12 students. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. For questions or registration, please contact
the Gmeiner director at 570-724-1917 or [email protected]. The Gmeiner is located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro, behind the Green Free Library.

A GATHERING OF GLASS EVENT AT THE GMEINER

A GATHERING OF GLASS EVENT AT THE GMEINER

By: Carrie Heath, February 14, 2024
The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center is pleased to announce a reception for the Wellsboro Glass Historical Association “A Gathering of Glass: The Next Chapter.” This event will take place on Saturday, February 24 th from 6:30-8:30PM at the Gmeiner located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro, behind the Green Free Library. The reception is free and
open to the public. Light refreshments will be available.

The Wellsboro Glass Historical Association is dedicated to preserving the history of Wellsboro’s important role in glass manufacturing. Wellsboro was the site of Corning
Glass Works’ first satellite factory, which opened in 1916. Although it went through several other owners, it remained open for nearly 100 years. This factory is the birthplace of the famous “ribbon machines” which revolutionized modern glassmaking.

When the factory closed, those ribbon machines were first shipped away, and then scheduled for demolition. Thanks to a social media post by Ryan Root, a former
mechanic at the factory, a groundswell of interest in saving the machines arose, permissions were granted, funds were raised, the machines were rescued from the
scrapyard, and brought back home to Wellsboro.

This event will serve as a “thank you!” from current members of WGHA to the generous individuals and organizations who helped rescue and preserve the ribbon machines,
such as Shawn Bryant, GROW, the DeCamp family, the Packer Foundation, the Dunham Foundation, the Sweet Foundation, the Etner Foundation, Joe Shabloski,
Home Page Network, Charlie Messina and Ben Stambaugh.

Some of the objects in the WGHA’s collection will be on display for the evening, and members of WGHA will show how they are currently caring for and archiving those
objects. Guests will also have the opportunity to paint their own glass ornament, led by the steady hand of Mary Wise in the Studio. This reception is also a chance to let the
public know about WGHA’s future plans. Members will share their vision for a permanent museum to house the ribbon machines and other artifacts collected in the
last few years. Come find out what the future holds for Wellsboro’s glass manufacturing history!

CALL FOR STUDENT ARTISTS FOR EXHIBIT AT THE GMEINER

CALL FOR STUDENT ARTISTS FOR EXHIBIT AT THE GMEINER

By: Carrie Heath, February 17, 2024
Attention Student Artists! Start getting your pieces ready! The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center will be hosting the annual student art exhibit again this March in the Main Gallery. It is open to any student in grades 7-12 in eastern Potter county, all of Tioga County, and western Bradford County in public, private or homeschool. Each student
may submit two pieces. Artwork must be original. Copies of published works or anyone else’s art are not acceptable. Two-dimensional pieces need to either be framed or
mounted on a board/construction paper. The maximum size for 2-dimensional work is 36 inches in any direction. Sculptural and ceramic work must fit through a 6’x8’ doorway and weigh less than 70 pounds. Digital work is a possibility. Please contact the director to discuss.

There is an entry form that must be filled out for each piece in the exhibit. Forms can be completed ahead of time by requesting one from the director, or when the work is
dropped off. Artwork must be hand-delivered to and picked up from the Gmeiner at 134 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901. Students, their families, or teachers can drop off
work at the Gmeiner between the hours of 12-6PM on Friday, March 1st or from 3-6PM on Monday, March 4th.

We ask that our young artists do not submit works that are incomplete, still wet, broken, etc.

The exhibit will open on Saturday, March 10th with a reception from 2-4PM to celebrate all of the students’ work. There will be light refreshments available for attendees. Student artists and their families are encouraged to attend! The exhibit will then be open to the public during the Gmeiner’s normal operating hours of 12-6PM every day but Monday until the last day of the exhibit, March 30th. Students and teachers will be able to pick up artwork on Monday, April 1st from 12-6PM and Tuesday, April 2nd from 3-6PM.

For more details or any questions, please contact Carrie Heath, the Director of the Gmeiner at 570-724-1917 or [email protected]. More information
can be found on our website as well: https://gmeinerartculturalcenter.org/